Term 4 has come around again already and it is time for the Senior students in particular to be focusing on external examinations...That said the last weeks of the winter term saw large numbers of pupils involved in a wide range of different activities.
Winter tournaments saw Rugby , hockey, football & basketball teams competing around the country.
*The 1st XI football had a 3 win/3 loss record at the Premier NZSS tournament which saw them placing 11=/32 teams. Wins against Shirley BHS, New Plymouth BHS & Western Heights HS were balanced against losses to Nayland College, Nelson College & Sacred Heart of Auckland and the team ended the best performed team of the Waikato/BOP region.
*For the first time ever the 2nd XI football team contested tournament at a satellite tournament held at Papamoa playing lesser 1st XI sides. The side finished 16th out of the 24 competing teams with a 2 win, 2 draw & 4 loss record and the experience gained should stand them in good stead for 2011.
*The 1st XI hockey began their climb to the top tier of NZSS hockey by winning the Mayhill Cup in Levin. There were some tough matches on the way to victory with the semifinal against Scots College won 3-0 on strokes after the scores had been tied 2 all in regulation time. The final was against Pukekohe HS who had beaten Auckland GS earlier in the season so it was always going to be a tough ask but the team showed considerable composure and skill to come through with a 1-0 win. Tim Gregec was named player of the tournament.
* The 2nd XI hockey travelled to Wellington for the 2nd XI national championships where they have been pipped at the semifinal stage over the last 3 years. A loss in their last pool game to Hamilton BHS (0-1) meant the semi this time was against Palmerston North BHS which ended up a 1-2 loss. TBC had Auckland GS to play for 3rd and in an excellent display accounted for them 3-1. The other 3 schools in the semis here are always very strong contenders for Rankin Cup honours so again this
was a very good result for TBC.
*The exciting year for the Under 15 rugby team continued as their tournament was held in Christchurch ..... The team lost to Napier BHS twice at the tournament to finish 4th after wins over Rotorua BHS & Massey HS + an agonising 15-16 loss to AGS but it was probably the 7.1 magnitude earthquake on the morning they were due to leave the city that will be most remembered. The boys had already had travel disruptions earlier in the season when they were trapped in floods coming back from tournament in Gisborne and this time too they were a day late getting back to Tauranga as flights out of Christchurch were cancelled with the earthquake swarms shaking the city.
*The Under 14 Rugby team travelled to Palmerston North for the Colquhoun Shield tournament which TBC was defending. The team had excellent wins against Rotorua BHS, Palmerston North BHS and Wellington College but it was the 3-0 victory over previously unbeaten Gisborne BHS that meant the Shield was retained. TBC scored a penalty
just before the break but then showed huge heart and considerable skill in defending their line playing into a very strong wind in the second spell.
*In other rugby news 1st XV members Jacob Proctor, Nathan Harris & Fergus McCool have represented the CHiefs at U 18 level while 8 members of the U 15 team were in BOP representative sides.
* The basketball team contested the regional championships which give qualification for Nationals & with Church College closed the standard of basketball at a number of Waikato schools has improved. Wins were recorded against Pakuranga, Gisborne BHS, Hamilton BHS & St Kentigern College and the teams 4th was more than enough to qualify for
Nationals.
*10 TBC Cross Country athletes represented the Waikato region at the North Island SS Relay Champs and all returned with medals. The Juniors placed first while the Intermediate & Senior teams were second in their respective races.
*For the first time in years Matt Hewitt was not part of the school surf team but they still performed well placing 3rd at Nationals. Matt meanwhile, competing on the professional circuit, suffered a serious injury in South Australia which will see him out for most of the year but with him just first year out of school he will still have another opportunity in the junior pro ranks in 2011.
*Tiarn Ririnui (son of BOP rugby rep & Old Boy Barry) has been selected in the NZ taekwondo team which will compete in the 14-18 year division of the Oceania Champs in December.
*Trent Rippey continues the schools excellent recent results in sailing as he was part of the NZ Optimist team that claimed silver in Canada in international competition. Thomas Saunders has also been involved in international competition winning the prestigious ISAF Laser Radial Youth World Champs in Turkey.
*John von Bommel competed in the National SS Karting Champs with approximately 150 drivers from around the country. He placed 2nd in the 125 cc Rotax Lights class & 3rd in the 100 cc Senior Yamaha division.
*Head Prefect Toby Cunliffe-Steel came home from the Australian Under 21 Youth Rowing Champs with 3 gold medals in the Lightweight Double, the Quad & the Eight where NZ competed against NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, WA, ACT,SA & Queensland. Old Boys Adam Ling & Michael Berry also picked up 3 gold medals as well.
*The TBC Junior rock climbing came first in the BOP SS climbing competition.
*Regional championships have also been held in chess with the TBC team taking 2nd place.
*Jonathan Kent has won the Senior category at the Young Innovators awards for his automatic screen cleaner for the hydro generator at Ngatuhoa Lodge.
OLD BOYS ...
* Commonwealth Games just completed and 2 TBC Old Boys returned with medals. Decathlete Brent Newdick, who came 4th in Melbourne Games, performed strongly throughout the competition to claim the silver medal while Andy Hayward was an important member of the defence in the hockey side who claimed the bronze over a strong England team in a penalty stroke shoot out.
* Kane Williamson's first games for the Black Caps had not been too successful but this week in Bangladesh he became the youngest ever NZ batsman to score an international century (106) in an ODI against Bangladesh. For the first season he has been awarded one of the 20 international contracts with NZ Cricket.
* Daniel Braid returned from plying his trade with the Queensland Reds and his form sees him joining the All Blacks again for the autumn tour to the United Kingdom.
Rob Leslie
